William von Herff

I am a scientist-turned-freelance science writer who writes about the environment, conservation, and natural history. My work can also be found in Canadian Geographic, The Atlantic, Smithsonian Magazine, WIRED, Inside Climate News, Sierra, Hakai Magazine, Popular Science, MIT Technology Review, Atlas Obscura, Birding Magazine, BirdNote, and The Outside Story, among others. I received my M.S. from the Graduate Program in Science Writing at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and from 2023 to 2025, I was a staff science reporter for the Provincetown Independent on Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

I also publish regular articles on my Substack, Charismatic Manyfauna. I am also currently a Senior Communications Associate at the green energy nonprofit Greenlight America.

William von Herff

Selected Published Work

Entanglement Leads to Death of Young Right Whale

The Biggest Year in Canadian Birds

Hurricane Helene Cleanup Poses a Threat to Wildlife

An Idaho Bird Research Station Rises from the Ashes of a Wildfire

Threatened Toads That Struggle Elsewhere Thrive in Provincetown

A Megadrought is Reshaping Birdlife in the Southwest

The Atlantification of the Arctic Ocean is Underway

Outside In: Covering Communities as an Outsider

Tapping Into the Ocean to Combat Climate Change